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The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees

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Leaf area and water content changes after permanent and temporary storage.

Kevyn J Juneau¹, Catherine S Tarasoff

¹School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, United States of America. kjjuneau@mtu.edu

|August 11, 2012

Summary

Leaf area shrinkage varies by storage method, with pressed leaves shrinking significantly more than cold-stored leaves. Models are developed to correct for shrinkage in preserved specimens, crucial for ecosystem productivity research.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Botany
Climate Science

Background:

Accurate leaf morphology measurements are vital for ecosystem productivity and climate change modeling.
Leaves degrade rapidly after harvest, necessitating proper storage to minimize morphological changes.
Preserved specimens require accurate estimation methods to match fresh measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify leaf area changes under different storage treatments.
To develop predictive models for estimating initial leaf area from preserved specimens.
To compare shrinkage across ten plant species and growth forms.

Main Methods:

Fresh leaf area was measured for ten species.
Leaves were subjected to two common storage treatments (permanent and temporary).
Leaf area was re-measured post-storage, and shrinkage was analyzed.

Main Results:

Leaf area decreased significantly more in permanent storage (e.g., pressing) than temporary storage (e.g., cold storage).
Pressed leaves showed over 18% shrinkage, while cold-stored leaves shrunk under 4%.
Woody dicots exhibited the least shrinkage; shrinkage correlated positively with initial water content and leaf complexity.

Conclusions:

Storage method critically impacts leaf area measurements.
Developed models can improve accuracy when using preserved specimens for ecological studies.
Understanding shrinkage factors is essential for reliable climate change and productivity modeling.